Josh Jooris – McKeen's Hockey

J.T. Come Home – Toronto Maple Leafs 2018-19 Season Preview

Ryan Dadoun — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 15:16:27 +0000

REVIEW / STATE OF PLAY – Fueled by then rookies Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner, the Toronto Maple Leafs surprised some by making it to the playoffs in 2016-17 and thus created an air of cautious optimism going into 2017-18. The campaign proved to be a small step forward for Toronto with them posting a 49-26-7 record that set franchise-highs in wins and points.

Toronto got there by scoring the second most goals in the league without having anyone hit the 70-point milestones. Instead, the Maple Leafs had six players with at least 20 goals and 10 with at least 40 points. When it came to the playoffs, the Maple Leafs took the Boston Bruins to Game seven, but ultimately suffered their second straight first round exit.

Auston Matthews

LIVING THE DREAM – What do you do when your offense is among the best in the league, but there are questions surrounding your blueline? If you’re Kyle Dubas, the newly elevated general manager for Toronto, you double down on that strong offense by convincing John Tavares to fulfill his childhood dream of playing for the Maple Leafs. Signing UFA Tavares to a seven-year, $77 million contract gives the Maple Leafs a second world-class center along with Auston Matthews and allows them to assign Nazem Kadri to the third line, a role he’s overqualified for.

Exactly how all the Maple Leafs’ offensive weapons will be utilized is the enviable assignment of head coach Mike Babcock, but it’s anticipated that Tavares will end up playing primarily with Mitch Marner while Matthews will continue to be paired up primarily with William Nylander. Those combinations give Toronto a one-two punch that rivals any in the league. It also makes the summer departures of forwards James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak seem acceptable. That’s not a small feat given that van Riemsdyk and Bozak combined for 47 goals and 97 points last season, but it speaks to how big an impact and ripple effect the signing of Tavares is anticipated to have.

Outside of Tavares, Toronto didn’t do much in the way of make noteworthy additions over the summer. Their next biggest signing was Tyler Ennis, who agreed to a one-year, $650,000 contract. It’s a low-risk gamble on the idea that Ennis might be able to bounce back after recording just 16 goals and 46 points in 147 games over the last three seasons. It’s entirely possible that nothing of note will come of the move, but it’s the type of bargain bin signing the Maple Leafs will likely have to engage in much more frequently going forward now that they’re task with handling Tavares’ $11 million cap hit while also finding a way to keep their young core of Matthews, Nylander, and Marner under their control for years to come.

PROTECTING THEIR END – There is no doubt that the Maple Leafs are set up to score goals, but of course they need to at least be serviceable in their own end otherwise they’ll suffer a fate similar to the 2017-18 New York Islanders that Tavares departed. The Maple Leafs are going to be relying on basically the same defense that they had last season, which isn’t a nightmare scenario, but it is the main source of uncertainty going into the season.

It also once again presents Frederik Andersen with a tremendous amount of responsibility. Among goalies that played at least 25 games, Andersen led the league with 33.5 shots per game and he could find himself with a similar workload this season. Toronto was a success because Andersen held his own under heavy pressure with a .918 save percentage. If he can’t do as well this season or he suffers a significant injury then that alone could sink Toronto. The Maple Leafs do have some fallback options like Curtis McElhinney, who was solid in limited use last season, and Garret Sparks, who was voted as the AHL’s top goaltender for 2017-18, but neither has proven themselves in the NHL in the same way as Andersen.

OUTLOOK – The Maple Leafs were already a playoff team on the rise and the addition of Tavares makes them look like a serious Stanley Cup contender. There are some areas of concern with this team, but the sheer amount of talent upfront might be enough to push them far if the rest of the players around that core can at least be serviceable.

Interview With Calgary Flames General Manager Brad Treliving

Peter Harling — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 13:37:04 +0000

One of the perks that come with being a hockey writer is the opportunity to meet people and players in the hockey community. I am always impressed with how accommodating, approachable, genuine and friendly these people are. From junior players to scouts and coaches all the way up to General Managers. At the Kingston Frontenacs game this week I was fortunate enough to meet the Calgary Flames General Manager and Assistant General Managers Brad Treliving and Craig Conroy and had a wonderful conversation with them on all things hockey. Brad Treliving was even gracious enough to give me an interview where we discussed their top prospect Sam Bennett and others in their organization

Sam Bennett of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

How close was Sam Bennett to making the Calgary Flames before the shoulder injury ended his season?

“Well that’s a tough question. His camp was cut short really from rookie camp; he had a groin injury and then obviously the shoulder surgery that he went through. So it was a very short camp for him, and the time that he was there he was very impressive. In his first preseason game he was arguably the best player on the ice for both teams. To say he was this close, or that close; he really impressed us, but it’s a tough gauge when you’re talking about such a small window. He showed us what we expected him to show us. He has tremendous skill, great vision and just his will and compete level are just off the charts. We think he’s going to be a real good pro for a long time.”

He said that he thought his chances were good and that he felt that his play in the preseason was good enough to warrant a shot at some regular season games and is confident in his ability to have taken that, and earned a roster spot. Is that a fair assessment?

“The thing I love about Sam is he’s determined. He is confident in his abilities but in a good way. It’s not a cockiness it’s an air of confidence that top players have. He was an impressive player in camp, but to sit here and look back and try to handicap what were the chances; it’s in the past now, he’s gone through the rehab and he’s back here in Kingston and playing and that’s the most important thing”

Where do you see him playing next season?

“We’ll see! I’m worried about him playing tonight then tomorrow night. I think the problem people get into in this game with young players is heaping a whole lot of expectations on 18 and 19 year old players. The NHL is a man’s league, and it’s a difficult league. There is no rush for us. Do we think Sam’s going to come into training camp and make every push to be on our team? We absolutely expect that, but let’s let him get back playing here, let’s let him finish playing out the season, let’s let him push this team (The Kingston Frontenacs) along and hopefully get on a playoff run here and we’ll worry about next seasons camp next season”

You said this was your first chance watching him play this year, what are your thoughts so far, two goals in the first period?

“He’s been pretty impressive, I think him and his line have been dominant, they have had the puck and a lot of offensive zone time, creating a lot of chances, he’s attacking the net, so I think he’s been terrific”

Do you have a player or two in the system you see making a push to make the team next year?

“We’ve got a number of guys on our American league team and even a few guys in junior. I don’t think it’s wise right now in March to start projecting. We have on our mind a number of young guys who are going to be pushing to be in that position. Michael Ferland and Emile Poirier are two young guys that really spent the bulk of the year in the American League, they’re both with us right now and we’ve had David Wolf come up and play some games. Marcus Granlund has come up and played some games with us, there are others that are on the American League team in Adirondack and some that are playing whether it be junior or collegiate. That’s the good thing about training camp, you’re always hoping and you write a lot of things in pencil and hope that you have a surprise or two every year. Going into camp this year we would have never, ever, in our wildest dreams predict that Josh Jooris was going to push for a spot. He did! He earned one, so that’s what training camp is for, so to sit here and start handicapping six months out, we’ll let all the other people do that and we’ll wait till training camp.”

Do you have a prospect under the radar, further down on everyone else’s list that you are excited about?

“Yeah I think we’ve got a few. Two picks from this year, our seventh round pick Austin Carroll who is having a tremendous year in Victoria, big strong right wing. I think he is approaching 40 goals, 70 plus points, he had a really good camp for us and he’s having a tremendous season. I think another guy, our third round pick from last year, Brandon Hickey who is playing at Boston University. I think he’s taken a huge step this year; he’s had a terrific freshman year. Those are probably two guys that didn’t get a lot of notoriety, under the radar if you will, but there are others. We’ve got a few kids that were excited about.”

Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire

Peter Harling — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 13:32:21 +0000

As the NHL season continues to unfold, some teams are performing ahead of expectations. Those teams success are being driven by some unheralded individual performances. Some of these players are under the radar and un-owned in a variety of leagues and offer value on the waiver wire. Here are a few for your consideration

Chris Terry – Carolina, LW 25% Fantrax Owned

Since Eric Staal returned the Canes have gone on a winning streak. Alex Semin has been missing in action all season and Jordan Staal has also been injured. In their absence Chris Terry has been delivering offence. In the first 11 games, Terry has produced three goals and seven assists. As a result he has been given time on the powerplay as well. All the while he has been scoring from the third line playing with the likes of Zack Boychuk and Victor Rask, meaning he is producing his own offense. With the Staal line facing the opposition’s top defenders, Terry should continue to get his offense.

Riley Nash – Carolina, C 23% Owned

Like Terry, Nash has been producing despite Carolinas early struggles. Nash is playing on a line with rookie Elias Lindholm and the little spark plug Nathan Gerbe. Nash has scored three goals and five assists in 11 games and has at least on point in four of the last five games. At just 25 years old, this former first round pick of the Oilers could be a good late blooming player.

Josh Jooris – Calgary, C 10% Owned

The Flames have been a big surprise this season led by Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie on the back end with Jonas Hiller in net and Johnny Gaudreau up front. Those players are widely owned, but Jooris is largely unknown, and un-owned. He has been a healthy scratch twice this season but has three goals and two assists for five points in eight games including a two goal performance against Montreal recently.

Lance Bouma – Calgary, LW 8% Owned

Surprisingly the Flames are one of the higher scoring teams so far this season. Bouma has not been a significant offensive threat with three goals and one assist in 14 games. He does have fantasy value in deep leagues that have categories for stats such as hits (37), and blocked shots (15). The Flames love his compete level, and are quite comfortable giving him ice time on a line with Jooris and Brandon Bollig.

Nick Bonino – Vancouver, C 73% Owned

The Vancouver Canucks are having a great start in large part due to the performance of the new players in Ryan Miller, Radim Vrbata and Nick Bonino. At 73 percent owned, chances are Bonino is not available in your league. I am pretty surprised his ownership percent is that low, it really should be closer to 100%. Bonino is off to a great start with seven goals and five assists in 14 games, don’t sleep on this rising star.

Chris Higgins – Vancouver, LW 29% Owned

The oft injured journeyman forward has been a risky pick, but this is the waiver wire, not the first round pick article. Higgins seems to have found new life on the second line with Bonino and Jannik Hansen scoring two goals and seven assists in 14 games. While this line is producing Higgins is fantasy relevant again and at less than 30% owned is a good value pick up if you can snag him.

Linden Vey – Vancouver, RW 39% Owned

Another key addition by new GM Jim Benning, Vey was buried behind a deep Kings roster but has broken out with the Canucks scoring four goals (three powerplay) and three assists in 14 games. Vey has been another pleasant addition if not a surprise and can make an impact on your fantasy team.